Bengaluru, Jan 18 (IANS): Though Covid-19 infections are registering a fall in Bengaluru, the pandemic is rapidly spreading in other districts across the state as lakhs of people from Bengaluru have returned to their villages fearing lockdown.

The district places are recording 20 to 30 times more infection rate. The infection is spreading faster in four districts of south Karnataka and 15 districts of north Karnataka which were registering cases in single digits have started recording 10 times more.

Though the government has not imposed a complete lockdown, lakhs of workers especially from north Karnataka have gone back to their villages as lockdown period horrors of first and second waves are still haunting them. Since, people have gone back to their villages on a large scale, the infection is spreading rapidly, according to experts.

Several north Karnataka districts that were recording zero cases or cases in single digits just before two weeks have seen a sudden spurt since last week. This has caused fears of spreading of infection in rural areas where health infrastructure is not up to the mark and awareness among people is also very less.

Between January 8 to 15, the state has recorded as many as 1.45 lakh new Covid cases. Among these, Bengaluru alone has recorded more than one lakh cases. In Bengaluru, when compared to last week the infection has risen 10 times. However, it has increased by 39 times in Raichur district, Haveri district has recorded an increase of 31 times.

Raichur recorded zero cases even as the third wave was reaching its peak in Bengaluru and other districts. Last week, the district recorded 14 cases and this week it has reached 555. In Haveri also the number of cases have reached 95 this week. Last week there were only three.

The cases have increased by 29 times in Koppal, 23 times in Chamarajanagar and 16 times in Tumakuru districts. Chitradurga has recorded 15 times and Yadgir 14 times. Davanagere, Chikkaballapura and Uttara Kannada (13 times), Ramanagar, Dharawad, Bidar and Hassan districts are recording 10 times more Covid cases than they recorded a week ago.

Bengaluru is seeing decreasing trends in new Covid cases since three days. The total percentage of Bengaluru in Covid cases has been reduced from 80 per cent to 60 per cent. The share of Covid cases from other parts of the state barring Bengaluru has increased from 20 per cent to 40 per cent, according to experts.

The districts of Mysuru, Tumakuru, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi are recording more number of Covid cases in the state. The state recorded 1,933 new Covid cases in the third week of December, and in the last week the numbers grew to 3,955 cases. By January first week, the number of positive cases swelled to 30,644. By the January second week 1.45 lakh cases are reported in the state, as per the statistics released by the health department.

The experts have opined that the pandemic will reach its peak by January 24 and later, the cases would see downward trends. The government also hinted that it would take decision accordingly if such is the case hinting at relaxation of weekend and night curfews that are presently in place. However, the health department is worried that by that time, rural Karnataka might put up a serious situation.